ClearShot Transparent Pickleball Paddle

ABSTRACT

The ClearShot Transparent Pickleball Paddle is different from all other pickleball paddles because the entire hitting part, which may be a single piece or consist of components such as a core, surface film, surface sheet, and surface faceplate, is made with a transparent material, thereby giving the player the ability to clearly see through the hitting part of the paddle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicant claims the benefit of provisional application number63/474,598 filed on Oct. 27, 2022.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

PRIOR ART

There are many known types of pickleball paddles, including the paddlesdescribed in USPTO Document ID US 20210252356 A1. None afford unimpairedtransparency through the hitting part. Transparency is the singularimportant feature of the invention covered by this application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to improvements in a pickleballpaddle used in playing the game known as pickleball.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The game of pickleball was developed in 1965 in the state of Washington.It is currently believed to be the fastest growing sport in the UnitedStates. Pickleball is a paddle sport that resembles a combination ofbadminton, tennis, and table tennis. The pickleball court is like atennis court or a badminton court. Two or four players use solid paddlesmade of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball,like a whiffle ball, over a net. The pickleball paddle is shaped like,albeit larger than, a table tennis “bat” or paddle. Good players arealways looking for a better pickleball paddle that improves a player’sperformance and/or confidence. Pickleball paddle manufacturers providethe United States Amateur Pickleball Association (USAPA) with theirpaddles to test and approve them for use in tournaments. Generally,pickleball paddles are required to be rigid, flat, non-abrasive andwithin a specified height and width. There are no requirements forpickleball paddle manufacturers to use specific materials ormanufacturing techniques. It must, however, comport with applicablepaddle material specifications’ rules issued by the InternationalFederation of Pickleball, The USAPA, or similar pickleball authority.

According to USAPA specifications, pickleball paddles must be producedwith materials that are comparatively stiff and non-compressible, and nostringed racquet may be used while playing the game. The hitting part ofthe paddle must not have any hole, indentation, coarse texture, stickytape, mirror, or object that lets a player convey supplementary oraugmented rotation on the pickleball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The ClearShot Transparent Pickleball Paddle is unique because it isconstructed with a hitting part made with transparent materials. Thebenefit from a pickleball paddle with a hitting part that is fullytransparent became clear to me one day whilst I was playing pickleball,the game. I noticed that my opaque paddle was blocking or obscuring myvision from time to time during critical moments in play. This usuallyhappened when the paddle was at head height in a position to return thepickleball using what is often referred to as the “blocking” technique.I realized that a transparent pickleball paddle would fix the problem.This is not an obvious invention because the visual impairment is brief— almost the blink of an eye — and is not readily appreciated by theplayer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

There is one sheet of drawings included with the instant application.FIG. 1 shows the paddle front view. FIG. 2 shows the paddle side view.FIG. 3 . shows the paddle bottom view. Reference character no. 1 is thehandle. Reference character no. 2 is the binding that encloses thetransparent hitting part. Reference character no. 3 is the transparenthitting part that is intended to contact the pickleball. The hittingpart may be a single piece, or it may consist of components such as acore, surface sheet, surface film, and surface faceplate; however, allare transparent because they are constructed with transparent materials.

DETAILED DESCRITION OF THE INVENTION

The ClearShot Transparent Pickleball Paddle is different from all otherpickleball paddles because the entire hitting part, which may be asingle piece or be made with components such as a core, surface film,surface sheet, and surface faceplate, is made with a plastic or othermaterial that is transparent, enabling the player to see through theentire hitting part of the paddle. The word transparent as used in thisapplication means there are no obstructions visible to the naked eyeviewing the paddle from either the front or back when the paddle is usedin the ordinary course of playing pickle ball, other than embellishmentsthat are (1) used to enhance paddle performance, like cell walls in ahoneycomb structure, or (ii) used to provide information, like namebrand signs, with the stipulation that any embellishment does not affectoverall transparency to an extent that is material or significant to theplayer. The three essential parts of the paddle, as shown in theaccompanying drawing, are a handle, an optional rim or frame, and thehitting part. The hitting part may consist of either a single piece orcomponents such as a core, surface sheet, surface film, and surfacefaceplate. No other pickleball paddle has an entire hitting part that istransparent. There are various materials that can be used to produce thetransparent hitting part. Candidate materials are polyethyleneterephthalate glycol, clear polycarbonate, and clear acrylic.Transparent wood, glass fiber and carbon fiber are also candidates. Tobe transparent, the hitting part may be formed using one or acombination of different transparent materials alone or by using a microlayer-by-micro layer additive manufacturing process, or both. The use ofa known material for an application is patentable; accordingly, a newuse for a known material may be patented. That is the case here, wherethe transparent materials used are known and the new use is to employthem in to make a pickleball paddle that is transparent.

How It Will Be Used

The ClearShot Transparent Pickleball Paddle gives pickleball players theopportunity to add a new stroke to their arsenal by enabling them toswing the pickleball paddle in front of their faces without blockingtheir vision. The ClearShot Transparent Pickleball Paddle also makes thegame safer for players because they can use the paddle more accuratelythan opaque paddles to block high velocity shots aimed at their faces byopponents. Also, it gives players blocking a head shot an advantage -- agood player can adjust the paddle’s angle by a slight degree to changethe pickleball’s return arc and make the pickleball more difficult forthe opponent to hit. The ability to fine tune that adjustment isenhanced by the ability to see through a paddle that is transparent.Conversely, when a paddle’s hitting part is opaque, one must guess moreand rely more on memory to determine the pickleball’s position,trajectory, and speed. Eliminating that guesswork is a tremendousadvantage gained by using the ClearShot Transparent Pickleball Paddle.Still another advantage is that the ClearShot Transparent PickleballPaddle allows the player to observe opponents’ movements and gesturesthat might otherwise be momentarily or partially obscured by an opaquepickleball paddle. Just a microsecond of additional visibility affordedby the ClearShot Transparent Pickleball Paddle could make an importantand significant difference in winning a point in the game.

Abstract of the Disclosure

The ClearShot Transparent Pickleball Paddle is different from all otherpickleball paddles because the entire hitting part, which may be asingle piece or consist of components such as a core, surface film,surface sheet, and surface faceplate, is made with a transparentmaterial, thereby giving the player the ability to clearly see throughthe hitting part of the paddle.

1. A pickleball paddle wherein the improvement comprises a paddle thatis “transparent” as that term is defined this application.
 2. Apickleball paddle as described in claim no. 1 wherein the improvementcomprises a hitting part that is transparent.
 3. A pickleball paddle asdescribed in claim no. 1 wherein the improvement comprises a one-piecehitting part that is transparent.
 4. A pickleball paddle as described inclaim no. 1 wherein the improvement comprises a one-piece hitting partthat is made with a transparent material.
 5. A pickleball paddle asdescribed in claim no. 1 wherein the improvement comprises a one-piecehitting part that is made with a combination of transparent materials.6. A pickleball paddle as described in claim no. 1 wherein theimprovement comprises each hitting part component, such as core, surfacefilm, surface sheet, and surface faceplate, being made with transparentmaterials.
 7. A pickleball paddle as described in claim no. 1 whereinthe improvement comprises each hitting part component, such as core,surface film, surface sheet, and surface faceplate, being made with thesame transparent material as used for the other components.
 8. Apickleball paddle as described in claim no. 1 wherein the improvementcomprises each hitting part component, such as core, surface film,surface sheet, and surface faceplate, being made with the samecombination of transparent materials as used for the other components.9. A pickleball paddle as described in claim no. 1 wherein theimprovement comprises each hitting part component, such as core, surfacefilm, surface sheet, and surface faceplate, being made with differenttransparent materials.
 10. A pickleball paddle as described in claim no.1 wherein the improvement comprises each hitting part component, such ascore, surface film, surface sheet, and surface faceplate, being madewith various combinations of transparent materials.